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Here is Your Opportunity to Combine a Wonderful European Tour with Your Love of Piano & Music!

Come with us to Europe and watch how some of the worlds finest pianos are created, stroll through great composers homes, visit incredible musical instrument museums, attend live piano concerts (in a gorgeous castle with our very own "Piano Girl"), meet other Piano Forums members, stay in lovely hotels, eat in fine restaurants, Tour Castles & Cathedrals, take in all that Germany & Austria have to offer.

All this and lots more. THERE IS STILL TIME TO Join Us! But you must act soon.

This Unique European Tour is open to anyone who loves music, you do not have to be a member of our Piano Forums to join us. Of course we'd love to have you join the Piano Forums too (membership is free).

Although visiting some of Europe's finest piano makers is central to our plans, we've expanded the tour to include SO MUCH MORE than piano shops see below.

Some Highlights from Your Itinerary (not in date order):

Hamburg Steinway Tour (Hamburg, Germany) Kyle Kirkland, Chairman of Steinway Musical Instruments has promised a memorable tour. (I wonder if that means I get to take a D home with me?)

Meet & Greet and Concert with Robin Meloy Goldsby (Author of The Piano Girl)(Cologne, Germany) Robin is one talented lady, and a member of our forums (see the long running "Let's Talk Weddings" thread).

We will of course try to get some hands on time playing pianos ourselves as well.After all, there will be plenty of piano players in the group. I'm quite sure we will be able to get a little playing in when we visit the piano manufacturers, but we'll have to seek out some other pianos too :-)

June 5, 11 SunArrival Hamburg (transportation provided from Hamburg Airport (HAM) to hotel), city orientation tour, no entranceWelcome cocktail, welcome dinner, o/n Hamburg Hotel HafenJune 6, 11 MonMorning Tour of Hamburg Steinway, PM freeDinner at local restaurant, o/n Hamburg Hotel HafenJune 7, 11, TueFull day drive to Bonn via Cologne, to visit the Cathedral (also join up with Robin Meloy Goldsby – the Piano Girl)Dinner at hotel, o/n Bonn Rhein Hotel DreesenJune 8, 11 WedMorning visit to Beethoven museum, PM free, dinner at hotel, o/n BonnJune 9, 11 ThuFull-day drive to Leipzig, dinner at hotel, o/n Leipzig Radisson BlueJune 10, 11 FriHalf-day Tour of Blüthner Piano with Dr. Blüthner, PM city tour with Thomas Church, Mendelsohn Museum, Music Instruments Museum, Dinner at famous Auerbach-Kellero/n Leipzig Hotel Radisson BlueJune 11, 11 SatTo Bayreuth, arrival around lunch time, Tour of Steingräber u. Söhne PianoDinner at Hotel, o/n Bayreuth Hotel Ramada ResidenzschloßJune 12, 11 SunFull-day excursion to Nuremberg (Germanisches National Museum, collection of historic music instruments), continue to Rothenburg, walking tour Dinner at hotel, o/n Bayreuth Hotel Ramada ResidenzschloßJune 13, 11 MonMorning visit to Wagner and Liszt Museum, afternoon drive to Munich, prior check-in a panoramic city tour, photo stops, no inside visits, dinner at local restaurant nearby hotel, overnight Hotel Kings First Class HotelJune 14, 11 TueMorning visit to the Deutsches Museum (which houses one of the world’s largest musical instrument collections, with a performance of the music of Mozart on an original piano of his time and comparative demonstrations on instruments from subsequent time periods) and the National theatre (where we have applied for a visit behind the scenes).Afternoon drive to Salzburg, upon arrival we have a 2 hour walking tour with a local Salzburg guide (local guide is compulsory) and visit the Mozart Haus, the birthplace of Mozart.Dinner at local restaurant nearby hotel, o/n Salzburg Hotel AustrotelJune 15, 11 WedMorning drive to Vienna, arrive around lunchtime, afternoon sightseeing incl. Castle Schönbrunn inside visit, dinner and overnight at centrally located Hotel (name coming up)June 16, 11 ThuTour of Bösendorfer PianoAfternoon “Musical Vienna”, a city tour connected with composers, with music, of which there are many in Vienna.Farewell Dinner at local restaurant, maybe in Grinzing, where you dine with local wine and music in a wine village nearby Viennao/n ViennaJune 17, 11 FriTransfer to Vienna Airport. Auf Wiedersehen

Package includes:

All accommodations listed

Breakfast buffet and 3 course dinner daily

1 glass of welcome cocktail upon arrival pre dinner

Deluxe motor coach with A/C, fridge, bathroom and reclining seats

English tour escort

Local guides

Entrance fees on tours included

Porterage at hotels and airports of once piece per person

Government tax, parking of coach, service charge at hotels and restaurants

Please keep in mind the pricing does not include airfare, as our members come not only from all over the U.S., but also around the world. We want you to be able to get the best flights and rates for your particular location/situation. However, if you need help with travel arrangements, our Travel Agency (Hills Travel, St. Petersburg, FL) will be happy to assist you.Also, if you are traveling solo and would be interested in pairing up to save the single supplement, Hill's Travel ( our agent) offers room matching.

Not included:

International flights

Tips to driver, escort, restaurants

If the VAT increase, we have to increase same amount

Drinks (unless noted)

Pricing is below all the picturesPlease share this with your friends, post it on your Facebook/MySpace Page, Tweet it, do whatever you can to get the word out. This is going to be an experience to remember. If you like music, and especially piano, this is your tour. Meet other Piano Forums Members from across the country and around the world (everyone will receive some Piano World Piano Forums goodies).

Please Help Us Spread the Word About This Tour

Note:There were other piano companies who kindly approached us about visting.We did the best we could with the time we have (taking into consideration travel and free time, and not wanting to overload people with technical piano talk). If this tour is a success, we will definitely plan on another and will visit some of the other piano makers.

Adding Pictures of some of the places we will be visiting.Please see additional pictures further in this thread (on second page).

Hotel Hafen - Hamburg - Day Shot

Hotel Hafen - Hamburg - Night Shot

Hotel Hafen - Hamburg - Piano Bar!

Lots More Pictures LATER IN THIS THREAD...

NOTE: The More People We Have, The LESS it Will Cost! (to a point) We currently have 23 people signed up making the base price $3860.00

NOTE: Our Travel Agency Will Be Handling ALL Payments.

For a breakdown on what the insurance policy covers, visit www.travelexinsurance.com or call 1-800-504-7883 (our ID # is 09-0477).

Hill's Travel Service has been around for over 80 years helping make traveldreams come true. With personal relationships with thousands of airlines,cruise lines, hotels, resorts and premier destinations worldwide, you areguaranteed the best pricing and service available. To learn more about Hills Travel or to contact them with questions...visit www.hillstravel.com or contact Elle / Hill's TravelTrier, GermanyP: (877) 845 7437 ­ toll freeF: (727) 896 7167Email: elle@hillstravel.com

For details, please see the post above.If you plan join us on this historic tour, please email me directly webmaster@pianoworld.com AND CONTACT OUR TRAVEL AGENCY! elle@hillstravel.com Please include Piano Tour 2011 in the subject line .

I will add your name(s) to the list below. If other people are coming with you, please include their name(s) as well.

We would also like to list where people are from, as this might entice others fromthe same area to join us.

Can't wait to meet you all in Germany!

Planning to Join the TourIF YOUR NAME ISN'T ON THE LIST, and you want to join us, email me immediately!Names In Bold Are Confirmed

Let me know if you are going solo and might want to pair up with someone else going solo. If someone else of the same gender asks about pairingup I will share contact info with each of you.

Email me at webmaster@pianoworld.com subject 2011 Piano Tour

Updates Will Be Posted HERE:

Airport:- Hamburg only has one int. airport, the code for this airport is HAM

- the tour includes airport pick up. We will try to schedule the transfer with the tranportation company so that everybody can take advantage of it. Since the majority of the flights from the US arrive in Germany in the morning we should be able to find a time which will be convenient for all of you.

From Forums member tnew (who lives in Austria)...Vienna has the musicians corner at the Vienna central cemetary. That is where Brahms, both Strauss father and son, Beethoven, Schubert, and other muscians are laid to rest. There is a Mozart memorial there too, but he is actually buried in another cemetary in the city.

This looks fantastic. I wish I could go.Just one comment:I wonder why Schimmel are not yet making it onto lists of this kind. Here in Melbourne we have a a major importer of Schimmel pianos and some of the local professionals have converted. Some claim the Schimmel is competitive with Steinway for quality nowadays. Certainly the Schimmel I get to play occasionally is the best instrument I ever touched.Is Schimmel not yet big in N.America or are they still not regarded as top quality there?

What a great tour! I'd love to join you guys. Unfortunately it's in the middle of the semester, and I teach at RWTH Aachen University in Germany, so I can't just disappear for two weeks. But here's a thought: I was responsible for creating the interactive "Virtual Conductor" exhibit in the House of Music Vienna. The entire museum is a must-see for music lovers, and it's right downtown, near the cathedral (http://www.hausdermusik.com/en/sound-museum/16.htm). The Virtual Conductor lets you conduct the Vienna Philharmonic on a huge full-HD screen - you can even control their tempo, and if you do badly, they stop playing and throw insults at you. (http://hci.rwth-aachen.de/po). It's the museum's top attraction. I'd be happy to join you in Vienna and talk to the museum director to arrange a special tour for us.

Also, I live less than an hour from Bonn/Cologne and would love to meet up with you guys there on the 7th, to meet you all as well as Robin. Naturally, I'd be happy to pay my share towards any expenses. Let me know what you think!

We have been approached by a number of piano companies about visiting. It will all depend upon the success of this tour.If it fills up and goes well, we will most certainly look to put together another tour, visiting other piano and music related places.

In the meantime I would encourage any piano related companies who would like to be part of our next tour to please contact me so we know they are in fact interested in hosting us.

This looks fantastic. I wish I could go.Just one comment:I wonder why Schimmel are not yet making it onto lists of this kind. Here in Melbourne we have a a major importer of Schimmel pianos and some of the local professionals have converted. Some claim the Schimmel is competitive with Steinway for quality nowadays. Certainly the Schimmel I get to play occasionally is the best instrument I ever touched.Is Schimmel not yet big in N.America or are they still not regarded as top quality there?

Hi Stephen! I also ask members of piano world in the USA the same question about Schimmel. They are highly promoted and highly regarded in Australia as excellent pianos - I certainly like the tone of them! Is there a thread on piano world where Schimmel pianos are discused at length? I will certainly consider this tour. Being located in Melbourne Australia, as the tour is leaving from the USA, can you provide me with a price departing from Sydney or Melbourne? MAny thanks,Regards,Michael

I also have the Tour details posted as an event on my Facebook pages which currently shows 9 attending and 35 maybe (along with 700+ who haven't responded yet).

My assumption is some folks haven't stepped up yet because they are deciding if this will be their vacation trip in 2011 (hey, what a great way to spend it).Others may be checking out airline prices (it's a bit early for that, and our travel agency will help if anyone wants them to).

Ideally I'd like to see 25-30 people join the tour, as that's where the best pricing for everyone comes in. And it would be fun to have a good sized group. And if we should end up with even more that would be great.

Sorry wouter79, but we've put together the best overall package we could.It includes lots of fun tours/visits and wonderful opportunities to see how fine pianos are built, plus lots of music.

Because we wanted everyone to be comfortable, we chose to stay at hotels that offer A/C and other amenities.

I realize it's not cheap, but we believe the tour offers a lot for the money. And keep in mind, once we have at least 25 people, the price drops to $3603 each (based on double occupancy, but we have some people who were traveling solo but are going to buddy up to avoid the "single" surcharge).

I also hesitate because of the price. I think the hotels are generally first class, right? And the included dinners also raise the price.

I will keep it in mind still, if I have a bit more time to think it over. If I don't end up coming though, would I at least be able to meet with the group when you are in Vienna? It would be fantastic to meet you all.

I realize it seems like a lot of money, but we're providing a lot in return.I don't know about the hotels being first class, but I'm pretty sure they are nice hotels (and air conditioned for us Americans who are used to A/C).

The idea of the dinners is to make it easier for everyone at the end of a long day of touring/site-seeing. Instead of having to scramble for dinner plans, they can relax knowing it's all taken care of.

I hope you do end up joining us for the full tour, but if not, let's plan on connecting while we're in Vienna.

I continue to have interest, although the price is a challenge for me.

No question about the value being offered, just out of our comfort range. I had mentioned earlier that we visited one of our sons in Thailand in January. My wife and I each had a small carry-on and no checked baggage. We stayed in a variety of accommodations from a tribal village to a beach bungalow to a high-rise apartment in downtown Bangkok and several levels in between. We found that the simple accommodations subtracted nothing from our experience. As the Motel 6 ad goes "Everything looks the same with your eyes closed."

Understood Keith, and I agree if it's something you are doing on your own, you can run with whatever is ok by you. However putting together a tour for a varied group of people means trying to strike the optimal balance.Sticking with the better known hotels gives us a little more confidence that the accommodations will be clean and comfortable, and able to handle the entire group at once.Our goal is to make this a unique, pleasurable, and memorable experience for everyone who joins us on this adventure.

I hope you can join us if possible. Deposits aren't due until Dec. 1st (25%), however we are trying to get an idea of how many people plan to take the tour.

A very quick breakdown suggests to me something like this per person per day (eg Ramada Hotel advertises with $82.10 lowest avg nightly rate) (and instead of a bus I took a standard rental car with 4 persons and guessed $200 would do per day):

hotel+breakfast $100 dinner $35 bus $50Times 12 days I get $2220

I know I'm neglecting the entrance fees etc now but what is taking up the other $2000?

A very quick breakdown suggests to me something like this per person per day (eg Ramada Hotel advertises with $82.10 lowest avg nightly rate) (and instead of a bus I took a standard rental car with 4 persons and guessed $200 would do per day):

hotel+breakfast $100 dinner $35 bus $50Times 12 days I get $2220

I know I'm neglecting the entrance fees etc now but what is taking up the other $2000?

Thanks for the question. There are many hidden variables that many don'tthink about when planning a trip like this. That's why so many peopleutilize a travel agent, we think of it all for you!

When choosing hotels, we tried to find hotels that had a bit of history orlocal feel and were located central to many of the sites within walkingdistance to insure less time on the road. Because of this, hotels begin toget a bit pricier. We did take advantage of some of the low advertizedrates when possible, but cannot take advantage of some of the lower rates asthey must be prepaid and we are offering payment options for the group.

A rental car is a nice option, but not really possible in a foreign country.Not everyone is comfortable with driving somewhere new like this.Therefore, we have chosen an air conditioned tour bus (with reclining seats,a fridge and more) for the entire group. With this we have a driver theentire time as well as a tour director.

Entrance fees and VAT and meals are actually more expensive that heprojected. Again, it's easy to quickly look at what it might cost but whenyou really do break it down, the costs add up quickly. One thing to note isthat because there are so many people joining the tour, we were actuallyable to bring the costs down a bit saving money for each traveler for areally 5 star experience.

Here are some elements that must be included but were not listed in the$2220 projected. VAT/Government taxes, welcome party for group, Englishspeaking tour director, local guides for private excursions, entrance feesto Cologne Dom, Bonn Beethoven Museum, Thomas Church, Mendelsohn House,Liszt Museum, Germanisces National Museum, Mozart Haus Birthplace, CastleSchonbrunn, porterage at hotels and airports of one piece per person,parking for motorcoach, gas for the motorcoach, service charges at hotelsand restaurants (often charged because of larger groups), hotel costs fordriver and tour director. You can see how it can add up quickly!

Thanks again for the question, I appreciate that you are protecting yourinvestments and hope you join the group on the tour!

Apparently I did not state it clear enough but I estimated that the bus (including gas and driver) would not be more expensive than $50 per person. I only based that on costs for rental car for comparison.

Sorry you won't be able to join us wouter79. Keep in mind the more people we have the less it will cost everyone.

Quite a few people have expressed an interest in joining the tour and it's still early. The first payment isn't really due until the end of November (Dec. 1 actually).

We are hoping to have enough people by then to make it more affordable for everyone.The sooner people raise their hand the better though, so we can get an idea of how many people will be going, which in turn helps determine the price.

I realize there are cheaper packages out there, but they are typically canned tours that go to the same places over and over. This is a highly customized one-of-a-kind adventure, designed with our piano/music loving members in mind.

To those of you who may be on the fence about joining us, please let me know if we can put you on the Yes I'm Coming or Definitely Maybe list.